A few weeks ago, I wrote about seeing Aarhus Cathedral in Denmark, and alluded to our trip to the beach that morning. It may not be the beach visit that appeals in January - even when we visited in August it was cool - but it was a fun way to spend a few hours, and helped us relax in the middle of a very busy Baltic cruise.

This was one of the tiniest beaches I've been to. A small sandy area next to a pier was backed by changing cabins and washrooms. But its advantages were many. It was clean and nearly isolated; other than a few locals who came and went, we had the area to ourselves. And it was a short walk from both the cruise ship dock and downtown Aarhus.

One of the things I always consider on trips is pacing. No matter how many glorious sights there are to see, everyone needs some downtime. We'd seen many glorious sights already on this trip, from Stockholm's Vasa Museum to St. Petersburg's Catherine Palace. (Actually, everything in St. Petersburg was glorious.) And we were starting to feel a bit of vacation fatigue.

So our few hours on a tiny beach in Aarhus were perfect. A chance to run around in our bare feet, collect shells and play in the sand. And we left feeling ready to see the beautiful ports that still lay ahead of us.

OMG, I've been to Aarhus. Hub and I took the train from Hamburg to visit friends there. The entire ride was spectacular. Aarhus is going to be a Culture Capital of Europe either next year or the next. There's really lots there. A blog follower from Aarhus says they're sprucing up the historic buildings.

Your daughters are lovely--what a wonderful family trip! I like beaches for "downtime" too. We drove from Wisconsin through Canada to Vermont a number of years ago and hit a few beaches on the way. We liked one so much we stopped again on the way back!

Beautiful pictures of your girls Beth!! I have Denmark on my list of places to visit, my grandmother on my dad's side was born there so I always thought that one day I would visit;-) I would love to see this beach and the cathedral at Aarhus..someday, I hope;-)

I concur that your daughters are just beautiful! I am in agreement with "downtime" on a busy vacation. My daughter and I always pencil that in to the amusement of husband and son - but you know - they always appreciate it.